ANSWER:Under Kansas law, court-ordered child support obligations continue to accrue until the child attains age 18, and are automatically extended to end of the school year in which child turns 18. Support may be extended to age 19 if the parents have so agreed.

There is no Kansas statute or case law holding parents to a duty to pay college support in the absence of an agreement.

In sum..... Post-secondary educational support is basically only by agreement of parties in Kansas. KSA § 60-1610(a)(1) states that the court may order the child support and educational expenses to be paid by either or both parents for any child less than 18 years of age, at which age the support shall terminate unless the parent or parents agree, by written agreement approved by the court, to pay support beyond the time the child reaches 18 years of age.

Full text of KSA § 60-1610(a)(1) reads as follows:

(a) Minor children. (1) Child support and education. The court shall make provisions for the support and education of the minor children. The court may modify or change any prior order, including any order issued in a title IV-D case, within three years of the date of the original order or a modification order, when a material change in circumstances is shown, irrespective of the present domicile of the child or the parents. If more than three years has passed since the date of the original order or modification order, a material change in circumstance need not be shown. The court may make a modification of child support retroactive to a date at least one month after the date that the motion to modify was filed with the court. Any increase in support ordered effective prior to the date the court's judgment is filed shall not become a lien on real property pursuant to KSA 60-2202 and amendments thereto. Regardless of the type of custodial arrangement ordered by the court, the court may order the child support and education expenses to be paid by either or both parents for any child less than 18 years of age, at which age the support shall terminate unless: (A) The parent or parents agree, by written agreement approved by the court, to pay support beyond the time the child reaches 18 years of age; (B) the child reaches 18 years of age before completing the child's high school education in which case the support shall not terminate automatically, unless otherwise ordered by the court, until June 30 of the school year during which the child became 18 years of age if the child is still attending high school; or (C) the child is still a bona fide high school student after June 30 of the school year during which the child became 18 years of age, in which case the court, on motion, may order support to continue through the school year during which the child becomes 19 years of age so long as the child is a bona fide high school student and the parents jointly participated or knowingly acquiesced in the decision which delayed the child's completion of high school. The court, in extending support pursuant to subsection (a)(1)(C), may impose such conditions as are appropriate and shall set the child support utilizing the guideline table category for 16-year through 18-year old children. Provision for payment of support and educational expenses of a child after reaching 18 years of age if still attending high school shall apply to any child subject to the jurisdiction of the court, including those whose support was ordered prior to July 1, 1992. If an agreement approved by the court prior to July 1, 1988, provides for termination of support before the date provided by subsection (a)(1)(B), the court may review and modify such agreement, and any order based on such agreement, to extend the date for termination of support to the date provided by subsection (a)(1)(B). If an agreement approved by the court prior to July 1, 1992, provides for termination of support before the date provided by subsection (a)(1)(C), the court may review and modify such agreement, and any order based on such agreement, to extend the date for termination of support to the date provided by subsection (a)(1)(C). For purposes of this section, "bona fide high school student" means a student who is enrolled in full accordance with the policy of the accredited high school in which the student is pursuing a high school diploma or a graduate equivalency diploma (GED). In determining the amount to be paid for child support, the court shall consider all relevant factors, without regard to marital misconduct, including the financial resources and needs of both parents, the financial resources and needs of the child and the physical and emotional condition of the child. Until a child reaches 18 years of age, the court may set apart any portion of property of either the husband or wife, or both, that seems necessary and proper for the support of the child. Except for good cause shown, every order requiring payment of child support under this section shall require that the support be paid through the central unit for collection and disbursement of support payments designated pursuant to KSA 23-4,118, and amendments thereto. A written agreement between the parties to make direct child support payments to the obligee and not pay through the central unit shall constitute good cause, unless the court finds the agreement is not in the best interest of the child or children. The obligor shall file such written agreement with the court. The obligor shall maintain written evidence of the payment of the support obligation and, at least annually, shall provide such evidence to the court and the obligee. If the divorce decree of the parties provides for an abatement of child support during any period provided in such decree, the child support such nonresidential parent owes for such period shall abate during such period of time, except that if the residential parent shows that the criteria for the abatement has not been satisfied there shall not be an abatement of such child support.

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